The Student Newspaper of the Johns Hopkins
School of Advanced International Studies

Student Security at SAIS DC
jameel khan
assistant editor at
sais washington
Heightened security measures went into effect at the
Washington, DC campus following an unspecified threat to
the SAIS community during the
week of September 16.
According to the SAIS administration, a woman unaffiliated with the university entered
the Nitze Building at 1740
Massachusetts Avenue and presented valid identification to
the front desk guard. She expressed interest in enrolling at
the school and was subsequently granted entry. Shortly afterward, the woman exhibited odd
behavior and was ultimately
escorted out by security.
“SAIS later received a voicemail message from the woman
that included references to

violence,” said Felisa Klubes,
Director of Communications
and Marketing, who has been
working closely with university
leadership in monitoring the
situation.
According to Klubes, subsequent communication from her
indicated she intended to return. Administration contacted

the Metropolitan Police Department and deployed increased
security at all Johns Hopkins
Dupont Circle-area buildings.
Though the woman did not specifically refer to any of these
buildings, this measure was decided in an “abundance of caution,” according to Klubes. The
CONTINUED TO PAGE 3

CORRECTIONS: In the Issue
6 profile of Prof. Belding, it
was incorrectly stated that
Belding is a Nobel Peace
Prize winner. He was the
CEO of Vietnam Veterans of
America Foundation which
co-founder the International
Campaign to Ban Landmines,
an organization which won
the Nobel Peace Prize in ’97.
He also holds a degree from
Yale, but hasn’t taught there.
We apologise for the errors.

In addITION to heightened
security on SAIS DC’s campus,
a few students have personally
encountered safety issues.
The first incident was in
mid-September. Joe Geni (SAIS
‘13), the school’s resident DJ,
was assaulted on S Street while
walking home late one night.
“I just outran the guy to
the street corner. It’s actually

a pretty safe street, but at 3
a.m., there was no one else on
it,” said Joe. “Once I got to the
corner of 7th, that’s a big street,
and there were lots of other
night revelers, so the guy gave
up. A couple blocks later, I ran
into the police, and they drove
me home.”
Over the following month,
other members of the SAIS
community have faced muggings and thefts across DC.
Miriam D’Onofrio (SAIS
‘13) found her bicycle stolen

from her locked yard.
“The gate is pretty tall and
solid – you’d have to come
inside to even see the bike.
Someone’s on the prowl,” said
D’Onofrio.
These
experiences
are
backed up by the city’s police
reports. While crime is far less
common than during the 1990s,
Washington remains a high-risk
city. The rate of property crime,
including theft and burglary, is
over 50% higher in DC than
the American average, and its

violent crime rate is over three
times above the national norm.
With this in mind, some basic steps can help students stay
safe through their studies here.
Most importantly, everyone
should immediately call Washington’s police department at
911 in case of an emergency.
“The Metropolitan police are
our campus police, and they are
very responsive,” said Senior
Associate Dean of Operations
and Finance Myron Kunka. “If
CONTINUED TO PAGE 3

2

Fall Career Fair at SAIS DC

careers/alumni

CHRISTINE CROFT
Guest CONTRIBUTor AT
SAIS WASHINGTON
THE Kenney Auditorium was
abuzz Friday, October 11 in
anticipation of the Fall Career
Fair. The prospect of jobs, networking and smooth elevator
pitches awaited many students
for the three-hour event.
The fair, which took place
from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.,
provided an opportunity for
students to learn more about
employers, network with SAIS
alumni and expand their professional networks.
The fair boasted a “full
house” with over thirty organizations in attendance. Many
organizations involved with
SAIS’ Nonprofit Leadership
Development Initiative (NLDI)
were present to share information about opportunities in the
nonprofit sector. To the relief
of many SAISers, most federal
agencies were present despite
the government shutdown.
Many students commented
that the best part of the fall career fair was the opportunity to
learn more about a variety of
employers – especially boutique
firms that offer a more precise
fit for students with specific
interests. From development
to defense consulting, financial advisors to think tanks, the
range of employers captured
the array of opportunities open
to students after graduation.
For many SAIS alumni,
the fair was a homecoming.
Organizations represented by
SAIS alumni sought to recruit
students and offer information
about current and future opportunities. More importantly, “the
career fair offers the opportunity for students to expand their
professional networks,” said
Jean-Amiel Jourdan, Senior
Associate Director of Career
Services. The career fair “is
a unique opportunity to have

SAISers
celebrate
Eid in DC

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

Christopher Crachiola and Charles Ludwig talk to one of the employer representatives at the career fair.
jameel khan

multiple informational interviews with various professionals from employers of choice,”
Jean-Amiel said.
For both graduates and current students, career fairs also
provide an opportunity for
camaraderie and networking.
According to Career Services,
students are able to make connections with someone who
knows firsthand the rigors of a
SAIS degree, and graduates can
share how SAIS prepared them
for the work they do today.
“Planning for the fair begins
as early as four months from
the actual date when invitations
are sent out,” said Janet Burrowes, Associate Director for
Employer Relations. Employers of choice were tallied from
student evaluations and then
invited to attend the fair. The
reputation of SAIS and its students, according to Career Services, means openings for the
fair fill up quickly as employers jump at the chance to offer SAIS students information
about their work, their culture
and career opportunities. After
the fair, “employers were impressed with the caliber of the
students and the questions regarding their organizations and
opportunities,” said Burrowes.
Although many students
use the fair to learn more about
career opportunities in various
sectors, some convert networking into positions. Kaelyn Lowmaster, who will graduate this

December, made a key connection at the career fair that directly resulted in a networking contact and a submitted application
for full-time employment.
As a follow-up to the career
fair, the Career Services office
sent out information on how to
capitalize on contacts made at
the fair. Students should send
a brief email thanking the employers they met for attending
the fair and expressing further
interest in employment. Students should also attach their
resume and note a specific opportunity of interest to guide
the networking relationship.
Career Services also offers two guides in SAISWorks
to help students navigate networking and following-up: the
“Networking” Guide and the
guide to “Effective Cover Letters, Email, and Thank You
Letters.” Prompt and refined
follow-up can boost a student’s
professional network and keep
a student at the top of a preferred employer’s mind for any
upcoming positions.
In the spring, Career Services offers the popular “Perfect Pitch” event, a session
which trains students on how
to present a personal statement
and draws over fifty employers.
In the meantime, students can
take advantage of Career Treks,
guest speaker presentations,
career panels and career workshops to help guide their thinking on career opportunities.

However, once the prayers
ended, mayhem returned to the
scene. Strangers locked each
other in brotherly embraces, as
the words Eid Mubarak (“have
a blessed festival”) made up the
background score.
After the crowd whittled
away, we ventured into the
mosque to explore. The walls
were well-adorned with carefully crafted tiles, some of
which displayed Arabic calligraphy. The dome was decorated
in gold and precious stones.
As we looked around, we
were approached by a stout figure that asked us in a commanding voice to step aside so he
could speak with us. Alarmed
by the tone of his voice, we
wondered if he would request
us to leave. Au contraire. He
told us that he was the caretaker, and took us through the
history of the place.
Located in the Embassy
Row, The Islamic Centre
Mosque has been serving as a
place of worship and community development for decades.
Since its inception in 1957, the
various parts of the mosque
have been donated by the governments of different countries.
The delicate tiles were provided by Turkey, the chandelier
by Egypt, the lavish rugs came
from Iran and the elegant dome
was contributed by Malaysia.
“Everyone built this mosque,”
said the caretaker.
Shortly thereafter we returned to our daily stresses of
mid-terms. Even though the
remainder of the day panned
out like any other weekday, the
pleasant encounters and rich
exchanges from earlier in the
day, all in the company of a
SAIS family, made it a memorable Eid.

Vigilance Most Important: Kunka
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

administration said it has no information that she was aware of
all the JHU buildings.
“We learned that this woman
was known to law enforcement
for other incidents of odd behavior,” said Klubes. “To our
knowledge, however, she had
no history of violence.”
On September 19, the woman was taken into policy custody
for evaluation. “The situation
has been neutralized in that the
police have investigated the
incident and found insufficient
evidence to warrant an arrest,”
Klubes said.
The number of security officers was increased temporarily
at the four university buildings;
Nitze, Bernstein-Offit, Rome,
and the Airline Pilots Association Building that houses the
Carey Business School. These
officers, who are armed and
employed by Allied Barton Security Services, supplemented
the existing SAIS/JHU Washington Center security team.
Communications were also
sent to the SAIS community via
email to relay up-to-date information on the situation.
“[While] I am happy the
school takes our security seri-

ously..the explanations given
did not give me a good idea of
what the security threat was.
[The school should] communicate more clearly to the students
if there is a security threat and
what it is,” said Karin Riechenberg, a second-year MA candidate at SAIS Washington.
“Also, the SMS alert system
seems to be only designed for
severe weather and natural disasters. It could also be used to
warn students if say there has
been a shooting somewhere in
town,” she added.
In this particular case, the
Johns Hopkins Emergency
Alert System was not used.
“The Alert System of sending text messages is only used
in situations where there is imminent danger,” Klubes said.
These typically involve situations such as an active shooter
on campus, bomb threats, severe acts of nature, and building evacuations. “There was
never an imminent danger in
this case,” she added.
“To our knowledge, this sort
of activity has never happened
at the DC campus before,”
Klubes said. Although there
was no security breach, there
are several ways for minimiz-

ing security risks on campus.
“Vigilance is the most important thing that we really want
to have,” said Myron Kunka,
senior associate dean of operations and finance. “Particularly
the Nitze Building back door
is a real concern, and piggybacking and allowing people to
come in without having to actually use their card is a concern,”
Dean Kunka said.
Students can also play an
important role, and they are
encouraged to report suspicious behavior. “We can’t be
everywhere at all times. You
are our eyes and ears as well,”
Klubes said. “Always err on the
side of caution. People should
not worry about embarrassing
themselves or somebody else.
It is important to be aware of
your surroundings.”
The administration also encourages students to “opt in” to
the text message alert system.
“We want as many students as
possible to certainly be signed
up for this system,” said Dean
Kunka. Signing up is easy,
which can be done at http://
my.jhu.edu with a valid JHED
account. The “emergency
alerts” section under “My Profile” allows one to activate this

3

alert. “If something does happen that presents an imminent
danger, the more people who
are signed up, the better chance
we have of making sure everybody knows about an incident,”
Kunka added.
Despite the recent incidents
at the Navy Yard and on Capitol Hill, students generally feel
safe on campus. “I am surprised
by the increase in violence [in
DC], but I have not felt personally insecure or unsafe, and I
feel the area we study in is not
threatening in any way,” said
Mohammad Shouman, a jointdegree SAIS-George Washington University student.
Those concerned or stressed
about the recent security incidents are encouraged to contact
the Faculty and Staff Assistance
Program or the Johns Hopkins
Student Assistance Program.
“If a SAIS community member sees suspicious behavior
on campus, s/he should notify
the front guard’s desk or call
202.663.5600,” Klubes said.
“Washington is a wonderful
city, but like any big city in the
world, you have to be vigilant
and alert as you travel around,
particularly in the evening
hours,” Dean Kunka said.

Crime in DC Real, but Preventable
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

an incident has just happened,
a student should absolutely call
911. Call the police, and file a
report. It is very, very important.” Even if the immediate
threat appears to be over, contacting the police can help authorities prevent future attacks
and recover stolen property.
SAIS also has services available for students that have dealt
with off-campus crime.
Lisa Kahn, the director of
student life, is the school’s firstcontact, who can help students

and different medical facilities
around town.
Students can also take some
precautionary measures to stay
informed about incidents in
the city. The DC Alert system,
available at http://textalert.ema.
dc.gov, provides texts or emails
when a major crisis erupts
around Washington. Warnings
for specific zones, such as the
Dupont Circle, are available.
Bikes and other valuables can
also be registered at the local
police station, which can limit
the risk of stolen property.

4

SAIS DC celebrates Eid
Zeeshan Vazeer
guest contributor at
sais washington
October 15 saw the celebration of the holy day of
Eid across the Muslim world.
The tradition was upheld here
at SAIS Washington when a
group of ten students (not all
Muslim), draped in color and a
festive disposition, attended the
special morning prayers at The
Islamic Center Mosque.
I represented my country’s
colors dressed in a traditional
Pakistani shalwar kameez. Any
peculiarity I initially felt in
walking down Massachusetts
Avenue in a distinct outfit was
quelled upon seeing the exotic
dresses at the mosque. There
were brightly-colored outfits
representing traditions spanning from the Caribbean to

photo courtesy of zeeshan vazeer

Dear Editor,
When I first arrived in Bologna
as an international student I was
also surprised to learn about the
English proficiency exam requirement. I, too, heard many
variations of the “at worst, you
just lose a couple of hours” or

This week’s

blogs

Guest blogger Josh Noonan
offers his first post on Central
Asian affairs. Here Josh focuses on how the confluence of
Azerbaijan’s natural gas boom
and oil decline stand to transform the autocratic country
into a developed modern democracy.

South East Asia.
The mosque was already
packed when we arrived, so we
squatted on the neatly placed
mats in the front yard, where
we listened to the sermon.

Letters to the Editor
In response to the article
‘Proficiency Exam Lost in
Translation?’ published on
October 15 in Issue 6.

SAIS life

the inevitable “but it fulfills
your language proficiency!”
reasoning mentioned.
What these justifications do
not address is the underlying
sense that we are collectively
not being treated as responsible, trustworthy adults or that
any objective examination other than the SAIS examination is
insufficient; or worse, we have
been less than honest in our applications.

Dear Boo,

your biweekly advice columnist,
answers your questions in a
special edition this week! Find
a video response to the following questions on saisobserver.
org. Have a question for Boo?
Email her at saisdearboo@
gmail.com.
Dear Boo,
I just heard the term ‘intellectu-

When the prayers finally started, it felt as if the world around
us stopped moving. The only
sound audible was the voice of
the imam on the microphone.
CONTINUED TO PAGE 2

Caitlin Watson

SAIS Europe
Assistant Editors

Michael St. Germain
Hyeladzirra Banu

Nanjing Associate
Editor

Maryan Escarfullett

Nanjing Assistant
Editor

Emily Walz

BLOG editor

An international student
with an undergraduate education from a top US university,
great GRE scores, who has
lived and worked in an English-speaking country is forced
to jump through another hoop
— one that calls into question
previous qualifications. It is irrelevant whether it is an easy
hoop to jump through or not.
Melissa Paredes
SAIS washington ’14

Taylor Crompton

ally sexy’ (referring to a professor). Can you explain the term,
and what it takes to be intellectually sexy?
Smelly cabbage

Booyoung Jang
Urvashi Bundel

graphics editor

Rachel Finan

video Editors

Karishma Chanrai
Holly Naylor
Saga McFarland

staff writers

Thomas Proctor
Kshitij Neelakantan
Tong Zhichao

cartoonists

Dear Boo,
I have a crush on a guy who is
a strict vegetarian, while I am a
faithful meat lover. Is this going
to work out?
Pensive in a Korean
BBQ Restaurant

The SAIS Observer is a newspaper written, edited and produced by the students of the
Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced
International Studies (SAIS) of
the Johns Hopkins University.
Opinions expressed in the SAIS
Observer are not necessarily
the views of the Editors, SAIS or
Johns Hopkins University.